1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a manually operated apparatus for splitting wood.
2. Discussion of Background Information
The operation of manually splitting wood, i.e., without the help of expensive machines that are difficult to transport, and that is unsuitable in daily use, is effected todays as always in all regions of the world, out of necessity or as healthy sport training. The operation as a rule consists of placing a piece of wood to be split into two or more pieces onto a base, often a block of wood, and hitting the piece of wood with an axe from above. This operation is not free of dangers, however, as demonstrated in the statistics concerning the accidents it provokes. Handling a sharp axe is a very dangerous action as such. In many cases, due to mistaken aim, or because the piece of wood to be split has moved, etc., the trajectory of the axe does not obey the intentions of the operator. As a result, the operator, in many cases, injures himself, especially in his legs, with sometimes severe consequences. Furthermore, it happens frequently that with the first axe blow, the piece of wood is not totally split but instead remains clamped on the axe. The woodcutter (this term being used to designate the person handling the axe) must therefore re-lift the axe with the piece of wood clinging to it, but not yet split, and to bang them onto the block again. This is a very difficult and dangerous operation as during the blow against the block, the piece of wood may liberate itself and fly away in any direction.
In order to avoid these disadvantages and dangers inherent in the operation of splitting wood using the traditional axe, various methods of operation have become known, which essentially are based on the idea of inverting the position of the cutting blade of the axe. Thus no longer does the axe hit the piece of wood from above but instead the piece of wood is banged from above against the blade with the help of a heavy hammer or sledgehammer. This procedure certainly aims to provide greater safety for the woodcutter with regard to all dangers inherent in the all around swing of the sharp axe in the air.
A proposal in this direction is e.g., described in the DE 35 14 800 C2, according to which the apparatus for splitting wood or similar material presents a separating element, i.e., a blade in the form of rays-extending from one point. The device has cutting edges which form a support surface for the piece of wood to be split. The cutting edges of the blade element extend inclined upwards from the central point.
This solution was aimed at improving a much older idea shown in the DE-PS-28149, which shows a star-shaped splitting element whose rays however, extend downward from the central point of intersection of the blades arranged in star shape. This type of known apparatus, and above all the first one cited, which certainly represents a clear progress over the old idea of the star-shaped blade according to the DE-PS-28149, still presents at least two important disadvantages in practical use, namely that:                a) it is not possible to split the piece of wood into less than three pieces. For a star-shaped blade used as a support at least three blades are required as shown in the FIGS. 2 and 3 of the DE 35 14 800 C2. Thus the piece of wood cannot be split simply in two pieces.        b) The support base of the piece of wood to be split, consisting of three or more blades arranged in star-form, does not ensure absolutely stable emplacement of the piece of wood. The piece of wood is arranged so as to be “balancing” on the support surface. As a result, the insecurity of the emplacement is all the greater the longer the piece of wood is and the smaller its diameter is. Thus, the danger persists that the piece of wood could escape at the moment of vibration during the first hammer blow and thus the blow could miss it and possibly could damage the apparatus or even injure the operator. It is to be noted that this danger disappears after the first blow, because, if the piece of wood is not split completely by the first blow, it remains clamped between the blades and no longer can fall from its “artificial block” (of which the apparatus, described in the two documents establishing the state of the art, and also the present invention, also could be characterized).        